A national report from Braidr found that AI use inside UK AIM listed companies isn’t that high. The study finds that only 1% of the Alternative Investment Market 100 businesses have AI built into everyday business activity. In these companies, AI supports decisions, workflows and outputs across teams rather than sitting on the sidelines.
Most AIM firms are pretty far from that position. Braidr says 85% of the AIM 100 are at an early stage, where AI activity exists mainly as trials or short projects. These experiments rarely connect to core systems or daily work. As a result, benefits are still small and difficult to measure.
The research looks at Braidr’s 5 A’s of AI Report and uses its AI Maturity Evaluation system. The model reviews public information from annual reports, investor presentations and company statements. It assesses AI use across strategy, data, products, content and people.
Across the AIM 100, the median AI maturity score is at 28 out of 100. That score shows that many companies talk about AI without building it into how the business runs. Braidr sums this up in the report, saying, “Most businesses haven’t progressed beyond pilot projects or experimental proof-of-concepts.”
What Is Holding Boards Back From More AI use?
Board level ownership seems to still be limited. Only 17% of AIM companies have a formal AI strategy. That leaves most leadership teams without a written direction on how AI supports growth, revenue or operations.
The report also shows silence is common with around 29% of AIM companies showing no public sign of AI work at all. Braidr writes that there is “not a single mention in their annual reports, investor presentations or corporate disclosures.”
Many firms use AI to handle basic tasks rather than build intelligence across the business. Braidr describes this as being “trapped in low-value automation,” where activity saves time but does not change outcomes.
On content systems, the report says 42% of AIM companies still upload PDFs manually and rely on older content management systems. Braidr says this blocks personalisation and limits the use of generative AI across websites, platforms and customer tools.
The study finds no AIM company showing public evidence of structured AI workforce readiness. Data trust also suffers. Even where cloud systems exist, governance gaps and fragmented standards leave teams unsure about the quality of their own data.
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Which AIM Businesses Are Moving Faster Than The Rest?
Different industries show different things: marketing, media and research businesses score more than 3% higher on average than technology companies. That result challenges common assumptions about who leads AI use inside the AIM market.
Oil and gas ranks at the bottom. The sector records an average AI maturity score of 12. This low result appears despite years of spending on digital systems and data platforms.
Financial services shows the biggest spread in performance. Braidr describes a market split between leaders and laggards. Some firms place near the top of the rankings while others are close to the bottom, showing uneven leadership and uneven execution.
A small group of companies stands apart from the rest of the AIM 100. RWS Holdings ranks first overall and leads the table by an eight point margin. GB Group, Tracsis, GlobalData and YouGov complete the top five.
Braidr’s report portrays this gap as a warning sign for the wider AIM market. “The findings raise important questions about whether high-growth UK companies are adequately preparing for the economic and competitive shifts brought about by AI,” the report says. For most AIM firms, AI talk continues, but deep use across the business remains rare.
Speaking on the findings, Dora Moldovan, Founder & Chief AI Officer at Braidr, said: “The AI hype is over. 2026 is the year of real AI adoption. This report shows that while businesses understand the importance of AI, most are still stuck at the starting line. Companies know data is the key, yet poor governance, siloed systems and data-quality issues stall progress across the board. You cannot build intelligent organisations on untrusted data, and yet this is exactly the reality many businesses find themselves confronting.
“The divide is no longer about access to technology – it’s about the leadership conviction needed to establish the right foundations. The companies that take deliberate, strategic action now will be the ones that thrive. Those who delay will see the competitive gap widen rapidly beyond recovery.”
Joe McLewin, Managing Director at Braidr, added: “Despite the obvious AI advantage, companies still treat content as an afterthought, and in an AI-first world this is a critical mistake. Content is no longer just marketing output; it is the fuel for intelligent systems.
“And when it comes to people, we suspect companies are not divulging their true AI workforce strategies. Whether through caution or concern, this silence is creating a capability gap that will only grow wider.”
